Medicare Part D Costs Increased Despite Less Drugs Being Prescribed

Total Medicare Part D reimbursement for brand-name drugs increased 62 percent from 2011 to 2015, according to a report released by the Department of Health And Human Services Office of Inspector General on Monday.

This increase came despite a 155 percent increase in manufacturer rebates and a 17 percent decrease in prescriptions, according to the report.

Drugs that were prescribed less had greater increases in costs on average. Of the prescriptions included in the study, those that had a decrease in the number of prescriptions increased in price 38 percent, while those that were prescribed in equal or lesser amounts over the same time period increased in price 23 percent.

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